Earth, You Are Not Alone, But Commute Will Be Tough, Scientists Say

March 30, 2012

Well, scientists have finally discovered a cure for the New York City housing crisis, only the subway fare is going to be a doozy.

From the UK Telegraph, scientists say they have discovered at least 100 rocky planets within 30 light years which could be habitable. Of course, 30 light years is 180 trillion miles, so there’s that to consider.

The revelation came via an telescopic examination of “red dwarf” stars in the Milky Way galaxy. Most of the stars in our galaxy are red dwarfs, and as many as 40 percent have a planet similar to earth orbiting in the so-called “habitable zone,” or at a range far enough to allow for liquid water.

“Because red dwarfs are so common – there are about 160 billion of them in the Milky Way – this leads us to the astonishing result that there are tens of billions of these planets in our galaxy alone,” Dr Xavier Bonfils, from Grenoble University in France, who led the international team, tells the Telegraph.

The scientists say red dwarfs are hit by solar flares and exposed to x-rays and ultraviolet radiation. So bring some serious sun tan lotion.